Robert hardie



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. R. HARDIB.

BALANGED VALVE.

Patented Apr. 13., .18.97.

j we 21?07: 2go/:s i mm/ Zig 2.6 Jzrney (No Model.) 2 sheets-Sheet 2.

R. HARDIE. BALANGBD VALVE.

No. 580,828. Patented Apr. 13, 1897.

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Nrrnn STATES ATENT irren.

ROBERTl-IARDIE, OF ROME,- NEV YORK, ASSIGN OR TO THE GENERAL OOMPRESSEDAIR COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

BALANCED VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,828, dated April13, 1897.

Application led September 2,1896. Serial No. 604,623. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, ROBERT I-IARDIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rome, in

the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Balanced Valves for Air-Engines; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a balanced valve adapted foruse on compressed-air locomotives. In this class of airengines the airis normally used or admitted to the chests and cylinders at a pressureof about one hundred and forty to one hundred and fifty pounds; butprovision is made for the temporary use of considerably higher pressureswhen needed for starting a heavy load or for acceleration of speed. Thedistribution is eiected through a main slide-valve and a cut-offslide-valve riding on the back of the main valve and arranged for veryearly cut-offs, so as to permit the air to be used eX- pansively to thelargest possible extent. At the pressures above named the drag on thevalve, if unbalanced, is of course very heavy.

The object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty and render thevalve comparatively easy to handle.

To these ends my invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in theclaims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanyin g drawings, wherein,like notations referring to like parts throughout the several views-Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section through my improved valvemechanism in workin g position with some parts broken away. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the parts shown in Fig. l with some portions broken away.Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 033 :n3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is adetail in perspective showing one element of the balancing devicedetached. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the main valve detached. Fig.6 isa similar view of the cut-off valve detached.

a represents a part of the cylinder-casting.

a represents the valve-chest, and a2 the valvecl1est cover.

a3 is the inlet for the supply of the c0n1- pressed air.

The valve-chest is provided with a valve seat for the main valve formedin two sections b, separated from each other, as clearly shown in Fig.l. The said seat-sections b are each provided with au admission-port b'and an exhaust-port b2. The two exhaust-ports b2 of course unite or leadto a common exhaust` outlet. (Not shown.)

The main member of the distribution-valve is constructed in twocorresponding sections c, workin g on the seat-sections b and providedeach with an admission-port c' and an exhaustcavity @for coperation withthe corresponding ports b and b2 in the seat-sections Z7. The saidmain-valve sections c are connected by bridge-bar portions c3 of thestock so disposed as to afford the requisite strength while leaving thecentral space or clearance c4. (Best shown in Fig. 5.) The said mainvalve c c3 connects with its rod c5 by nut c6, applied to permit freedomfor motion of the valve at right angles to the rod when necessary in theusual way. The main-valve casting c c3 is provided at its four cornerswith bearing-lugs c7, projecting from the back of the valve. To the saidlugs c7 are made fast by pins c8 a pair of truss bars or levers e9..These truss-bars o9 are deepest at their central portion and are appliedwith their ends on the pins o8 directly inward of the lugs c7 and theircentral or deepest portions projecting downward into the central orcut-away part c4 of the main-valve casting.

The cutoff member of the distributionvalves is constructed in twocorresponding sections d, which ride on the backs of the main-valvesections c as seats and are connected by bridge or yoke sections d ofthe stock, Which are spaced apart from each other to atl'ord alongitudinal slot or central clearance d2, as best shown in Figs. 2, 3,and 6. The cut-off-valve sections d control, of course, theadmission-ports c in the mainvalve section c. The bridge-bars d areconnected on the rod side of the center of the cut-off valve by boss d3,to which the rod d4 for the cut-oft valve connects by nut d5 in IOO tionQ7 with a nice it.

such way as to permit freedom for movement of the valve at right anglgesto the axis of the rod. The topof the boss cl3 is engaged by abearing-plate f, carried at the free end of a sti spring f', having itsother end made fast to the inside surface of the chest-cover a2, as bestshown in Fig. l.

g is a link which works between the bridgebars CZ of the cut-off valveand between the truss-bars o9, carried by the main valve, and isconnected to the central part of said bars o9 by pin g'. The said link galso works upward through a hollow plunger g2 and is provided at itsupper end with a pin g3, which rests in bearing-notches g4 of a combinedbearing and guide-rim or iiange g5 ont-he top or head of the hollowplunger g2. The stem of the plunger g2 works with a nice iit through thechest-cover a2. The chest-cover a2 is provided with a raised orlaterally-extended flange or plate g, which cooperates with an annularplate or cover section g' and a plunger-cap g8 to form a chamber gf. Inthe said chamber Q9 is mounted a copper diaphragm glo, which is clampedbetween the plates g6 and gi' at its outer margin and between theplunger g2 and the plunger-cap g8 at its central portion. The parts g6and Q7 are shown as thus clamped together by nutted bolts gu, while theparts g2 and g8 are shown as united by bolt-screws Q12. The plunger-capgs works through the cover-sec- The diaphragm g1@ is subject on itsunder surface to valve-chest pressure by fluid which can pass to thechamber Q9 below the diaphragm through a small duct Q13, (shown asformed on the exterior of the stem of the plunger g2.) The plungercap g8forms a tight joint with the head portion of the plunger g2 at theflange g5.

The plunger g2 is of tubular form, as hitherto noted, and at its lowerend opens into the valve-chest. Hence with the construction abovedescribed it is obvious that the plunger-stem g2 and the plunger-cap g8,together with that portion of the diaphragm Q10 outside of the plunger,will be subject to valve-chest pressure for outward movement at rightangles to the line of travel of the distribution-valves. Hence byproperly proportioning the parts it is obvious that the plunger g2 anddiaphragm g10 may be made, through the link g and the truss-bars cg, tocounterpoise any desired part of the pressure on the backs of thedistribution-valves. Otherwise stated, by the construction described thedistribution-valves may be balanced to the extent desired. The boreofthe plunger g2 is sufficient to permit the necessary angular motion ofthe link g in respect to said plunger g2 under the travel of thedistribution-valves. For the same purpose the inner wall of the plungerg2 is cut away or reduced toward its inner or open end, so as to affordincreasing clearance for the link g at that point. Under the travel ofthe distribution -valves it will be understood, of

course, that the plunger and the diaphragm will move up and down with ayielding action to compensate for the angular movement of the link g,while permitting the valves to to be held down to their seats.

Owing tothe fact that the link g works in the slot or space d2 betweenthe bridge-bars d of the cut-off valve it follows, of course, that thesaid link g does not interfere with the travel of the cut-off valve onthe. back of the main valve. The link g is made to connect with the mainvalve by means of the truss-bars a9, because therebya construction isafforded which will prevent springing of the valve. If the said link gwas connected directly to the central part of the main valve, therewould be a strong tendency to spring the valve over the lowerconnecting-pin of' the link as a fulcrum. By the use of the truss-barsc9 the main-valve casting can be made comparatively light and can be cutaway at its central portion for reducing the area thereof exposed topressure and nevertheless the requisite strength be afforded for theapplication of the balancing-rig.

By actual experience I have demonstrated the efficiency of the inventionherein disclosed for the purposes had in view. I have found that thevalve can be successively balanced in this manner so as to render thesame comparatively easy to handle under both the normal working pressureand the extraordinary working pressure at which the vair is sometimesused for temporary acceleration of speed or starting an extra heavyload.

It will be understood, of course, that the purpose of the spring devicef f is to hold the valves up to their seats in the absence ofair-pressure within the valve-chest, which device is needed for thereason that the valvechest is intended to be at the side of theengine-cylinder.

It will be understood, of course, that the details of the constructionmight be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention..

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

l. The combination with an engine-valve and valve-chest, of a diaphragmand plunger in the chest-cover, connected together, subject tovalve-chest pressure, for outward movement at right angles to the lineof the valves travel, and a link pivotally connecting said plunger tothe valve, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an engine-valve and valve-chest, of a centraldiaphragm and plunger in the chest-cover, subject to valvechestpressure, a link extending from said plunger into the chest, andtruss-bars centrally connected to the lower end of said link and havingtheir ends connected to the opposite ends of the valve, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination with an engine-valve and valve-chest, of a centraldiaphragm and ICO IIO

hollow plunger, in the chest-cover, both subject to valve-chestpressure, and connections from said plunger to the valve, involving alink working through the hollow stem of the plunger, and provided with apin at its upper end resting in bearings on the plungerhead directlybelow the plunger-cap, substantially as described.

4. The combination with an engine-valve chest, of distribution-valvestherein comprising a main slide-valve and a cut-off valve riding on theback of the main valve, a central diaphragm and plunger in thevalvechest cover, both subject to valve-chest pressure, for movementoutward at right angles to the valve travel, and connections from saidplunger to the main valve comprising a link carried by the plunger andworking through a slot in the cut-off-valve casting, and trussbarscentrally connected to the lower end of said link and having theiropposite ends connected to the main valve, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

5. In an engine, the combination with the valve-chest, of the main valvecomposed of the sections c united by the bridge-bars c3,

so disposed as to afford the central opening c4, the cut-off valvecomprising the sections b connected by the bridge-bars b disposed toafford the central opening o r slot h2, the diaphragm glo, in thechest-coveigphaving secured thereto the plunger-stem g2 and theplungercap g8, with said plunger stem working through the chest-cover asa guide and said cap g8 working through the cover of thediaphragm-casing, and with both the diaphragm and the plunger subject tovalve-chest pressure, the link g carried by the hollow plunger-stem g2and the truss-bars e9 connecting, at their central portions, with thelower end of said link and having their opposite ends connected to thelug c7, rising from the corners of the main-valve casting, and with saidlink g working between the bridge-bars b of the cut-off:l valve, allsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBT. I-IARDIE. [L s.] Vitnesses HUGH RosE, E. G. OSTERMANN.

